1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a remote coordinate input device and input method used when either designating a specified portion on a screen, or operating application software when performing a presentation by projecting an enlarged display of a computer screen onto a screen using a projector.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional presentation, information is displayed on a large screen by projecting an enlarged display of a transparent-type document using an OHP (overhead projector), or by projecting an enlarged film image using a slide projector. A demonstrator conducts the presentation while designating important points of the projected image using a pointing stick or a laser pointer.
Moreover, in recent years, due to the wide distribution of personal computers and liquid crystal projectors, effective presentations have been performed using various application software that have been developed for presentations.
However, a mouse or similar device which is connected to the computer must be operated in order to display the screen. In order to operate the mouse or similar device, the demonstrator must move away from being in front of the screen. Unfortunately, this movement by the demonstrator and the movement of the pointer on the screen are not related to each other. Thus, the audience is sometimes distracted.
In order to avoid this problem, devices which do not restrict the position of the demonstrator when the demonstrator is operating the computer, and which allow the operator to operate the application software by directly operating on the screen from a comparatively free position, and which can input so-called remote coordinates are being developed, and various corresponding methods have also been developed.
As one example of these methods, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-19953 discloses a method of controlling displayed information by operating a remote control device from a position which is distant from the screen. However, the operation is only performed by various kinds of keys that are provided on the remote control device. For example, in order to move the pointer on the screen, arrow keys have to be pressed. However, in this method, the pointer only moves integratedly, which provides a different feel than one gets from pointing by using a pointing stick.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 2-300816 discloses a method in which three light emitting elements are provided on a designating part. Each light emitting element radiates light in a different direction. The angle of orientation of the designating part is detected by the difference in strength of the light received by the light receiving elements from the light radiated from the light emitting elements. However, since the light has to be modulated in order to distinguish the light emitting elements, the apparatus is subject to problems, such as the designating part becoming complicated and it being easily influenced by external noise because the device uses the light amount difference.
Moreover, both of these methods have difficulty in distinguishing between two points or more that are simultaneously designated by the demonstrator and another person, such as someone in the audience.
It is therefore an object of the invention to solve the above-mentioned problems. The remote coordinate input device in accordance with the invention includes designating means that has at least three first light emitting elements and a second light emitting element that is arranged on an orthogonal axis that is perpendicular to a plane delineated by said first light emitting elements, an imaging means that images a relative positional relationship of said first and second light emitting elements of said designating means, a coordinate converting means that obtains a direction in which said designating means points with respect to said imaging means from a picture signal which is imaged by said imaging means and converts it to a planar coordinate, an output means that outputs the coordinate that is obtained by said coordinate converting means, and a display means that displays designating information on a screen based on said coordinate that is obtained by said output means.
In accordance with another aspect of the remote coordinate input device, said first light emitting elements are respectively arranged at each vertex of an isosceles triangle, and a base of the triangle which connects two of the first light emitting elements is substantially horizontally arranged.
In accordance with another aspect of the remote coordinate input device, said first light emitting elements are respectively arranged at each vertex of a rhombus, and one diagonal line of said rhombus is substantially horizontally arranged.
Another aspect of the remote coordinate input device further includes a modulating means that modulates said first or second light emitting elements according to operating information from an operating means that is provided on said designating means, and a light receiving means that detects the modulated operating information.
Another aspect of the remote coordinate input device further includes a hand detecting means that detects whether said designating means is being held by a hand of the user, and controls lighting or turning off of the light of said first and second light emitting elements by an output of said hand detecting means.
Another remote coordinate input device in accordance with the invention includes a designating means that has at least three first reflecting elements and a second reflecting element that is arranged on an orthogonal axis which is perpendicular to a plane delineated by said first reflecting elements, an irradiating means that irradiates said first and second reflecting elements of said designating means, an imaging means that images a relative positional relationship of said first and second reflecting elements of said designating means, a coordinate converting means that obtains a direction in which said designating means points with respect to said imaging means from a picture signal that has been imaged by said imaging means, and converts it into a planar coordinate, an output means that outputs the coordinate that is obtained by said coordinate converting means, and a display means that displays designating information on a screen based on said coordinate that is obtained from said output means.
In accordance with another aspect of this remote coordinate input device, said first reflecting elements are respectively arranged at each vertex of an isosceles triangle, and a base of the triangle which connects two of the reflecting elements is substantially horizontally arranged.
In accordance with another aspect of this remote coordinate input device, said first reflecting elements are respectively arranged at each vertex of a rhombus and one diagonal line of said rhombus is substantially horizontally arranged.
Another remote coordinate input device in accordance with the invention includes a designating means that has a hollow disk-shaped first reflecting element and a second reflecting element which is arranged on an orthogonal axis that is perpendicular to a plane delineated by said first reflecting element, an irradiating means that irradiates said first and second reflecting elements of said designating means, an imaging means that images a relative positional relationship of said first and second reflecting elements of said designating means, a coordinate converting means that obtains a direction in which said designating means points with respect to said imaging means from a signal which has been imaged by said imaging means and converts it to a planar coordinate, an output means that outputs the coordinate that is obtained by said coordinate converting means, and a display means that displays designating information on a screen based on said coordinate that is obtained by said output means.
A remote coordinate input method in accordance with the invention includes the steps of obtaining a first image with a first light emitting element or a first reflecting element, obtaining a second image with a said second light emitting element or a second reflecting element, obtaining a reference coordinate from a coordinate of said first image and a direction with respect to an imaging means of a designating means from the positional relationship of said second image and said reference coordinate, and specifying a designating position in a display means according to said direction.
Another aspect of the remote coordinate input method further includes obtaining independent designating tool images in which an image of a plurality of designating means is separated into independent images from the image which has been imaged by said imaging means, obtaining a direction with respect to said imaging means of said designating means for every independent designating tool image, and specifying a designated position by said display means according to said directions.